Elijah, Kings, & Rembrandt

Here is a link and some pictures from a great website Dr. Davis posted for us during our treatment of Kings and specifically Elijah. Rembrandt's sketches always portray brilliant depth and nuance even in their seemingly hurried and un-detailed form. I am learning to look to and that I owe much to artists and non-traditional commentators for my interpretation, illumination and edification by the Holy Spirit.
LINK

Elijah the Prophet by the Brook of Cherith

God's Judgment on Mount Carmel

Elijah On Mount Horeb

(AKEDAH) עקידת יצחק

In studying the Akedah (or "binding") story of Genesis 22, we were led to two paintings (one painting and one etching) by Rembrandt. Both depict the story of Mount Moriah. They differ greatly. From what I can tell the first one was painted much earlier; it is violent and intense. It shows the passion and emotion that occurred. The etching was apparently done much later. Rembrandt drew from his personal experience of losing children and being left at that point with but one son. The second piece portrays the emotion and intensity in a much different light. The tenderness of Abraham overwhelms the obedient rage shown in the first one. Both images are important and Rembrandt illustrates with tact and tremendous skill one of the hardest passages to comprehend in the Old Testament. These pieces are to be meditated on, with Gen 22 open next to your laptop and an available heart.








*notice...the changes in lighting emphasis, Abraham's facial expressions, the posture of the angel, and the violence of the scene. interpretation at it's finest.